COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19015, 10 November 1923, Page 8

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Friday evening. Returns of actual threshings received to October 19 from threshing mill owners show that, so far, 7,731,452 bushels, of wheat and 4,742.887 bushels of oats have been threshed out. The average yields per acre in cases where particulars of areas were furnished (covering 99 per cent, of total threshings) work out at 32.T2 bushels for wheat and 39.85 bushels of oats. A table is appended showing, by land districts, the quantity of wheat and oats threshed out and the yield per acre in each case: Yields and Averages, January-September, 1923.

LOCAL. MARKETS. Reports from Canterbury state that millers there are anxious to secure supplies ol milling wheat, and that they are picking up all lots that arc available. 'this activity has been caused as a rtaull oil the information contained in the latest Government statistics. These statistics show that Uiere wilt be a large shortage in the acreage just down in wheat for the coming season. lhat being so it is practically certain that there wib not be sufficient wheat in New Zealand to meet requirements, and that supplies will have to be obtained from outside. In addition to this expected shortage it is also' possible that the yields will not be up to the average, as consequent on the wet weather experienced a considerable quantity of wheat had - to be sown in the spring instead of in the autumn. A good percentage ol wheat was also sown very late. The position may not be so bad, however, if tavourable weather is experienced from now onwards. Local millers are not displaying the interest in the market which is being shown in Canterbury, as some of them are carryin heavy stocks. Only prime lots arc being taken up here, at the full fixed rates. So far fowl wheat has not been affected, although the market has become more stable. The North Island is still carrying fairly heavy stocks, .but an occasional lot is being placed with northern merchants at 5s 3f* f.o. ~ sacks extra. This jjrice is equivalent to 4s XOd per bushel, sacks extra, ex truck, Dunedin. There is not a great deal of fowl wheat on the market. Dunedin millers’ prices are as follow: Plotii, 200 lb, £ls 10s per ton; 100’a, .516 100, 50’s, £l7; 25’s, £l7 10s. Bran, £5 Ids per ton. Pollard, £7 10s. Oatmeal; 25’s, £2O; 200's, £l9. The prices for oats remain firm. Australian merchants have been inquiring for oats during the week, but no sales "have been reported to that country. The previous week, however, a few sales -were mad© to Australia. As stocks are getting light, merchants have been asking an increased price from Australia, .and this fact has probably prevented further business being transacted. Merchants in Australia are apparently only desirous of filling immediate requirements until the new crop is available. The crops in both Tasmania and Victoria are late this season, following the heavy tains which have been experienced there. North Island merchants ars still satisfied to buy from ‘“band to mouth" only. Small

parcels are being placed at 3s od, f.o.b. for A’s and 3s 3:1 for B's. These prices are equivalent to 2s lOd, sacks extra for As, delivered in Dunedin, and 2s 8d _ for Bs. North Island merchants are confining most of their buying to under-grade lines, at prices ranging from 2s lOd to 3s Id f.0.b., syi. A very dull period is being experienced in the grass seed market, and merchants ate experiencing a difficufty in securing an outlet for thoir stocks. farmers are not, buying to the, extent that was anticipated earlier jn the season. The quotations all round are easier, and holders of supplies are prepared to accept any reasonable offers. PRODUCE REPORT. Chuff is meeting with a steady inquiry at £5 os per ton, sacks extra, ex truck. Supplies of sound lines arc to the demand. Medium and under-grade is still in over supply, and is very hard to sell at £3 10s to £4 10s per ton. 'The shipping market is weak, as both Blenheim tinci Canterbury aie under-quoting Dunedin merchants. The potato market is irregular and Canterbury merchants are prepared to accept any reasonable offers. Sales of Canterbury tubers have been made during the week at £6 10s, f.0.b,, s.i. for I’.a.q. lots. These are being placed in Dunediu at about £8 per ton, sucks included, extra prime are worth £9. The retail market in Dunedin for old sorts rules very high, as grocers are evidently only buying small lots to keep them going tilt the new season’s arc available, and naturally they have ta pay high prices. Forward business in potatoes has been done at £5 per ton, April, March, June delivery. The egg market has firmed. Dairy butter is in full supply, and difficult to quit. Current local wholesale prices are as follow : Chuff. —Good quality, to £5 ss; medium and light. £3 10s to £4 10s. Potatoes, £8 to £9. Onions, £l2 per ton; Dairy Butter.—Bulk. Is 4d; pats, Is 3d; milled, Is 4d. Eggs.—Stamped, Is 4d; cased, Is 3d. Bacon.—Rolls, Is 2d per lb; sides, Is Id. Hams, Is 5d per lb. FRUIT REPORT. Fairly large quantities of Stunner apples are still arriving on the market. A large proportion, however, are showing signs ot age, and the skins are shrivelled. These are hard to quit. Sound apples meet a good sale. Small lots of. cherries and strawberries have reached the market from Otago Central. Larger supplies are expected next week. High prices were secured for both fruits. A shipment of Sydney grown fruit came forward during the week. There v.eie a lew cases of oranges, pines (which were in bud order), and passions, and also cucumbers, and vegetable marrows. The, marrows weic the first of the season. A line of Fiji pines, transhipped at Auckland, arrived in rather poor condition. A small shipment of bananas is expected by the Atua on Wednesday next. A line of Island bananas, grapes, and coconuts is due to arrive early next week. Supplies of oranges are on the short side. The current price of North Island new potatoes is 4d per lb.- Local grown bring up to 8d per lb. ' Asparagus and green peas are more plentiful. White turnips are also more ulentiful. supplies of old carrots and parsnips are about finished. A good inquiry exists for new season’s carrots and parsnips. The following are the latest wholesale prices; Apples: Stumers, extra choice, 10s t’q 12s per case; prime, 7s to. 9s; small, 3s fid to ss; cookers, 4s to 6s for best; second and third grade, difficult to sell, 2s to 3s 6d per case. Oranges: Adelaide, 27s to 28s. Lemons: Adelaide, 25s to 27s fid. Bananas: -Ripe, to 35s per case. Cucumbers, 10s tv 12s fid per dozen for hothouse ; Sydney outside grown to -22 a fid per half-case. Asparagus, to 10s per dozen. Silver beet, 6s to 7s per case. Spinach, 2s to 2s 3d per dozen bunches. Lettuce; Choice, Is; prime, 2s fid to 3a per dozen; small, Is to 2s per case. Now potatoes: Local, 7Jd to Sd pet - Jb; Auckland and Hutt grown, 4d per lb. . Swedes; Cases of about 50lb, locally grown, 7s to 9s per case. Green peas, 7d to 8d per lb. Carrots; Old, small bags, is to 3s. fid per bag; new season’s, 2s per dozen. Rhubarb, lid to 2d per- lb; well coloured, to 3s fid per dozen bunches. Spring onions, fid per bundle of six bunches. Cauliflowers, 16s to 17s 6d per sack for best; good, 10s to 12s fid; inferior, 3s to fis per sack; loose, Ills to 17s per dozen for prime. ' Cabbages, 4s to 4s fid per dozen; medium, Is to 4s per sack (no hearts). Fraser and Co., agents for the Otago Egg Circle, produce merchants, 146 Crawford street, Dunedin, report;—Eggs: Supplies coming in. freely, and are being taken up at preserving rates. Butter: Market easier; pats, Is 2d to Is 3d per . lb; bulk, Is 3d to la 4d. Pigs: Good demand for bacon weights at VJd to ?d per lb; porkers, 7d to 7Jd per lb; over-weight?, 3d to Id per lb. Tallow: Market steady, worth from 16s to 235, according to quality. Hcney: Prime bulk, 4id bp Sd per lb. Beeswax; Supplies are plentiful, and, sales are slow at Is fid per lb. Potatoes: The market is easier, consignments being heavy; best sorts are worth £lO to £11; medium sorts, from £8 10s to £9. Melbourne onions, £l2. We are agents for the Jubilee and Utility incubators —prices on application. We stock ’’Star P" chick food, lucerne meal, poultry meal, oats, egg crates, bran, pollard. Leg rings, la per dozen; special quotes tor quantities. Poultry: We penned a large yarding to a good demand. Hens realised 3s to 7s;cockerels, fis to 10s fid; ducks, to 8s 2d (all at per pair). Turkeys; Hens, Is per lb; gobblers, Is Id per lb (live weight). NO BANANAS. FIJI FRUIT NOT AVAILABLE. The Fiji Fruitgrowers and Shippers’ Association held an, important meeting last night (writes the Auckland Star’s Suva correspondent under date October 31) when a letter was read from the Union Steam Ship Company refusing the stressed request of the association to put forward the December fruit boat to about December 14 or 15. It was stated that the Tofua would sail as first fixed—vis., on December 28. This will mean that practically no fruit will be shipped in December.' Feeling was very keen and the' following -motions were carried: —“That this association views with great disapproval the action of the Union Steam Ship Company in declining to meet the wishes of the shippers in regard to the sailing of the fruit steamer iu December, and would record its opinion that in arriving at this decision, the interests of shippers who are the supporters of the service, have not been in any way considered.” It was decided "to for-' ward a copy of this motion to the local manager of the Union Steam Ship Company to be forwarded by him to the head office. “That in view of the action of the Union Steam Ship Company in regard to the sailing date of the fruit steamer in December, fruit shippers should approach some other company, with the idea of placing their steamers to carry on the fruit trade to New Zealand.” It .was resolved that fhe secretary and Mr Davis cable to the Canadian Mercantile Marine to get their beat in December to call at Fiji and take 12,090 to .14,000 cases of bananas to New Zealand ports. LONDON MARKETS. Messrs Dalgety and Co. report having received the following wire from their head office, London, dated November 8: New Zealand prime crossbred lambs: Canterbury, heavy 9RI, light 10? d; North Island, heavy BJd, light lOd. Lamb: The demand runs principally on light-weights. Prime crossbred mutton: Canterbury, heavy not quoted, light not quoted; North Island, heavy 7d, light 7Jd. The demand is better owing to cold weather. Prime ox beet: Hinds lid, fores, 3d. The demand is limited. Lamb: The market is firm. Mutton: The market is' steady. Beef; Any change in prices is in favour of buyers. Australian good average quality crossbred lamb, heavy, not quoted, light not quoted: mutton, heavy not quoted, light not quoted. DAIRY PRODUCE. Messrs Dalgety and Co. report having received the following cable from their head office, dated London, November 8; The butter market shows rather move inquiry. New Zealand salted, 190 s; exceptional brands, 1925; Danish, 2045; Australian finest salted, 186 e. Cheese; A very low market. New Zealand colour, 106 s; white, lilts; Canadian c.i.f., 08s. The season is nearly over. BRAY BROS. (LTD.), Auctioneers, Dunedin, Are reliable FRUIT AND DAIRY PRO DUCE SALESMEN. If you have any produce to market consign to BRAY’S, DUNEDIN. Prompt attention given to all correspondence.—Advt,

AUSTRALIAN MARKETS. Prea* Association —By Telegraph—Copyrigh l SYDNEY, November 8. Outs: -Tasmanian Algerian feed, 4s 9d; white, 4 s lOd. Maize: Local yellow, 5s 6d; white, 5s txl; South African, as 8d to 5s 9d. Potatoes; Tasmanian, £lB to £‘2‘2; local, £l7. Onions: Victorian, £8 to £l4. ADELAIDE, November, 3. Oats, t!s to :>s 2d. MELBOURNE, November 9. Oats, :5s Bcl to :5s lOd. Bariev: English, 3s 9d fo 4a. Potatoes, .£l6 IDs to £lB, Onions, £5 os to- £5 10s. A HISTORIC FLOCK, SYDNEY WOOL SALES. Frees Association—By Telegraph—Copyright SYDNEY. November 9. The wool, sales yesterday included five bales from the direct descendants of the flock which was owned by Captain iU’Artluir, founder of the wool industry in 1797. This wool brought 25d per lb. It is of good quality, and still retains the real merino characteristics. SOUTHERN STARR-BOWKETT. ~, Tire annual report and statement o f accounts of the Southern Starr-Bowkett Society shows that in group No. 2 a.t September H, (922,■ the, register showed 133 shares. The register now shows 401 shares. Tho credit balance of profit and loss account elands at £4279 9s, which is divisible among the holders of the 401 shares, and is equal to £lO 13s 5d per share. One thousand five bandied pounds has been disposed of during the year, leaving 80 shares, represented oy 19 clusters still to he drawn in this group. In group No. 3 during the present year five appropriations were disposed of—three 'by ballot and Iwo by sale. The premiums for the appropriations disposed of by sale realised an average price of £SOT3s 9d per' £l6O. The balance at the credit of profit and less account now stands'ai £1420 3s 3d. Group No. 4 Has now beer, in operation for 18 months, and during that time advances totalling £1509 have been made to members. The money offered for sale realised the average price of £45 per £IOO. The balance at the credit of profit and loss account stands at £256 n 7s. Shares are still available in this' group, and applications continue to come in. Ninety-eight new shares wore allotted, during the year, making a. total of 1154 shares issued to the date ox the balance sheet.

Wheat. Average Quantity yield per . threshed. acre. Bushels. Bushels. Auckland .. .. 3.382 32.21 Hawke’s Bay .. .. 26,777 27.30 .. .. 1,998 34.67 Wellington .. .. 203,057 33.84 ,. .. 22,673 22,70 Marlborough .. .. 99,075 33.01 Canterbury 33.66 Otago .. .. 26.02 Southland ... .. 226,722 29.95 Totals .. .. 7,731,452 32.12 Oats. 29.63 .. .. 868 Hawke’s Bay .. .. 25,989 33.51 .. .. 5,879 34.58 .. .. 121,581 42.73 Kelson .. .. 19,723 24,87 Marlborough .. .. 34,063 34.10 Canterbury .. .. 2,275,169 37.50 Otago .. _ Southland .. .. 1,084,287 .. .. 1,175,338 42.07 43.58 Totals - 1,742,887 39.85